With Cream and Sugar Please

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ne weekend while I was in seminary, one of my friends from another seminary came to pay a visit.  We had a wonderful time catching up with each other, talking, visiting downtown Fort Worth, dining in different restaurants, and visiting my favorite coffee shop.  It was a full couple of days but ones that were very enjoyable.

While at the coffee shop, we discussed all kinds of topics.  One of the things we discussed was how God reveals himself to us in the simplest terms and how almost anything around us can be used to deepen our understanding of God and his love for us.  The coffee in my cup served as a great example and while my friend and I sat there, we discussed how even a cup of coffee can be used to share the truth about Jesus Christ.

When I pour myself a cup of coffee, the liquid from the decanter is always black, very black.  The coffee is so dark that I can actually see my reflection in it.  For me, black coffee has a bitter taste and although some people like drink their coffee in this manner, I prefer to put both cream and sugar in mine. 

As I work with the coffee, a wonderful transformation takes place.  Sugar doesn’t change the appearance of the coffee but it does change its flavor.  The bitter edge is taken away and it is much more enjoyable for me to drink.  Next, I add cream to the mixture.  As the cream mixes with the coffee, the liquid takes on a different appearance.  You can actually see the change taking place before your eyes.  After everything is mixed together; the cup of coffee is smoother, sweeter, and more enjoyable.

Once I have added the sugar and cream, though, I cannot go back and separate them out.  The change is permanent, turning the coffee from a black, bitter drink into one that is smooth, sweet, and enjoyable.  Have you ever considered a cup of coffee in this way?  Have you ever stopped to think that once sugar and cream are added, there is no going back?  Once the coffee is changed, it cannot return to its original state.

This is exactly what Paul expressed in his second letter to the church in Corinth.  In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”  There are three little truths tucked away in this passage that we need to see today.  1) Paul states that only those who are “in Christ” can claim this promise.  That means that we have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, not in words only but by completely changing our lives and reflecting him. 2) Accepting Jesus always brings a change.  We are a new creation, having put off the old “sin” nature and taking on the new “Christ likeness.” 3) The change is permanent because all the old things are gone and everything new has come.

What a wonderful promise to the believer.  We are new creatures, enjoying a deep and personal relationship with God.  The blood of Jesus Christ changes our hearts, turning them from black and bitter to sweet and light.  When the blood of Jesus is poured into our hearts and souls, we change completely.  This does not give us free license to live any way we choose. On the contrary, with Christ living in us, we are compelled to live a life that is pleasing to God and one that brings glory to him.

Today at work, at home, or if you are in a restaurant somewhere for lunch, consider the lowly cup of coffee.  Its natural state is black and somewhat bitter.  However, when we add sugar and cream, we change its nature completely.  If you like your coffee black, by all means go ahead and drink it that way.  But when you hear someone say, “With cream and sugar, please,” let it be a reminder of the change that has occurred in your life because of the wonderful presence of Jesus Christ.